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At last Labour owns up to casino fears over gambling, crime and family breakdown
Last updated at 00:22am on 28.02.08
Campaigners have welcomed the news there will be no supercasino - but condemned plans for 16 smaller venues
Labour admitted yesterday it ditched plans to build a supercasino because of concerns over problem gambling, crime and family breakdown.
After opposition from churches, charities and doctors, Andy Burnham finally killed off the scheme to build a Las Vegas-style gambling palace.
In a victory for the Daily Mail's campaign, the Culture Secretary conceded it could lead to "significant" problems in Manchester, the proposed site.
Mr Burnham confirmed, however, that he was pressing ahead with plans for 16 smaller casinos offering slot machines with £4,000 jackpots.
He admitted these had social "risks and costs" but insisted they were outweighed by the benefits.
Mr Burnham was mocked by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats for "stumbling and fumbling" as he ditched the supercasino, which would have paid out £1million prizes from 1,250 one-armed bandits.
He also faced hostility from Labour's Manchester MPs who branded him "bonkers" for axing the resort.
He told the Commons there was "no consensus" on building a supercasino and said there had been concerns over problem gambling.
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An official report had cast doubt on a supercasino's ability to regenerate a rundown area of northern England.
This contradicted statements by former premier Tony Blair and ex-culture secretary Tessa Jowell.
The report found there would be "significant" economic and social costs "as a result of an increase in compulsive gambling".
Studies highlighted a rise in crime, addiction and broken homes – and found there were only marginal social and economic benefits compared with other forms of regeneration.
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The site of the supercasino next to Manchester Stadium: Culture Secretary Andy Burnham today announced the Government had abandoned plans to build Britain's first Vegas-style venue
How the super-casino site would have looked
Rates of separation and divorce, as well as bankruptcy, could be expected to rise as a result of the project, it added.
Mr Burnham yesterday announced that the 16 permitted casinos would close their doors for six hours a day.
They are also banned from accepting credit cards and handing out free drinks.
He said the UK would have the "toughest regulatory regime for gambling in the world" and pledged to consider raising the age limit from 18 to 21.
Mr Burnham added that it was "not acceptable" that just 360 out of 3,800 licensed gambling operators had so far contributed to a fund to treat those addicted to gambling.
He threatened to impose a £4million-a-year betting tax if bookies, casinos, internet casinos and amusement arcades do not chip in more.
The planned large casinos will be 15,000sq ft in size and will offer 150 machines with £4,000 jackpots.
These are planned for Leeds, Hull, Middlesbrough, Solihull, Great Yarmouth, Southampton, Milton Keynes and Newham in East London.
Smaller casinos of 7,500sq ft with 80 machines offering £4,000 prizes will be developed in Skegness, Bath, Stranraer in Scotland, Luton, Scarborough, Swansea, Torbay and Wolverhampton.
Don Foster, the LibDem culture spokesman, said: "The Government may have come to the right decision in the end but reaching it has been a sorry saga of dithering, wasted opportunity and considerable cost."
Manchester City Council is threatening to sue the Government over the decision.
Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who represents Manchester Central, said: "The people in Manchester actually won't think it's arrogant of the Government.
They think its bonkers "It is very disappointing for my constituents."
• A city council could sue the Government for £1billion over the doomed supercasino bid.
Manchester officials have been accused of "holding ministers to ransom" after claims that they promised legal action would be put on ice if the city receives "sweeteners" worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Reader views (10)
As with Dave, I have seen the destruction of local community and increase of crime brought about by large, public, 24 hour casinos in Australia. In my case, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Smaller venues for music and other entertainment go bust, drugs are freely available along with their attendant prostitution and other crime and frankly, they waste the money and energy of so many people. As shopping malls destroy local shopping communities, large gambling palaces destroy local culture. Sorry, Charlie. I think the disaster of 24 hour drinking (which I supported in the belief that people would take the opportunity to grow up if given the freedom to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption) shows that many people do need protecting from themselves. Our local town centre has changed from limited hours binge drinking to 24 hour binge drinking. Certainly, when it comes to the issue of addictions, whether to drugs, alcohol or gambling I think it has been proven again and again that some people cannot be trusted to make good decisions. If that means some restrictions on those who can, well that's just one of the compromises of society. Unless, of course, you believe that there's no such thing as society and we should all just rot in our own filth...
- John, London UK
So why did Manchester not get one of the regional casinos as a consolation prize?
- Naomi Sajeri, Manchester
Thank God! After seeing first-hand what casinos have done to communities in Melbourne and Sydney, I applaud Brown decision. Why is it that this government has to spend so much time dithering before making sensible decisions?
- Dave, London N10
Could we please all vote for the 'common sense' party, because so far I've had no indication from anyone in the past 10 years of having any common sense when making decisions whatsoever! Perhaps Labour could change its name to 'Stating the Blindingly Obvious' every time it comes out with some comment or other. I'm pretty sure we've got other more pressing problems in this country without worry about whether or not to built a casino!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Surely the usual bunch who post on here should be celebrating the fact that the government now agrees with their narrow-minded view that human beings are weak creatures that need protecting from themselves?
- Charlie, Soho
So does that mean Prescott has to give back his cowboy outfit?
- Givenuphope, London
I love horse racing and football betting on-line and have several accounts with on line betting sites, some belonging to high street bookies.
However I am 'shocked' to hear in parliament today that since our ex chancellor Gordon Brown imposed a 15 per cent tax on the on line bookies, they have all moved overseas .
Hence NO UK tax is paid.
The Treasury should follow the US example and impose a ban on gambling on-line except with US registered betting sites. The US have even arrested some on-line betting company bosses who have stepped on US soil.
That way these on line betting sites will move back to the UK and pay taxes like everyone else.
- George, london, UK
But was he not against the idea?! Now this - bottling again hey Mr. Bean Brown!
- Steveo, Islington, London
Hmmm, Gordon really does like the concept of gambling doesn't he? First Northern Rock and now back to casinos.
- B Gormless, Westminster
Few low earning areas targeted there, surely a recipe for disaster I feel.
- Nick Johnson, UK
